


Love Is Blind

by Random_Soul



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Aaron Burr's Uncle - Freeform, Aaron burr needs a hug, Abuse, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Blind Character, Blindness, Child Abuse, Explicit Language, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Getting Together, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, It Gets Better, James Madison Is a Good Bro, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mild Gore, Multi, Only Really In The First Chapter, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Theodosia Prevost Burr Is a Good Bro, Thomas Jefferson is a Good Bro, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:33:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24537775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Random_Soul/pseuds/Random_Soul
Summary: Aaron Burr suffers and injury leaving him hurt and broken. John, Lafayette, Alexander, and Hercules just want to show him everything will be okay. Thomas Jefferson just wants to protect his little brother.
Relationships: Aaron Burr/Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr/Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens/Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan, Aaron Burr/Everyone, Aaron Burr/Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette, Aaron Burr/Hercules Mulligan, Aaron Burr/John Laurens, Alexander Hamilton/Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton/Hercules Mulligan, Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens/Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan, John Laurens/Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette, John Laurens/Hercules Mulligan
Comments: 45
Kudos: 110





	1. Injury

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter contains quite a bit of homophobia and homophobic language. However, It's mainly in that. Also, read the tags despite them being long. There is gonna be quite a bit of reference to child abuse, though I'll try to keep it subtle and calm. Except for the first chapter. That's gonna be rough.
> 
> Based on the oneshot "Injury" I made, though it will not follow that perfectly. Major plot points won't change, just some details.

Aaron smiles as John cracks another joke. He is walking down the street with John, Alexander, Hercules, and Lafayette. They were all minding their own business and honestly having a blast. It’s been a while since Aaron has been able to relax, even longer since he’s been happy. He met Alexander first. He was Aaron’s top competitor and made everything a competition, including who could stay up the latest writing their paper. Aaron never minded. He just didn’t see the point in the competitions. Of course, that made it worse. He met the others at different times due to different things. About a year back, the four began dating. For some reason, they are adamant about forcing Aaron along with literally everything they do. It would be fine and all if Aaron didn’t have a massive crush on all of them. They would never love him back, he knows this. It’s still hard though. But he’ll grit his teeth and bear through it. John runs and jumps on a table, pulling out a pack of rainbow sparkles from his pocket.

“I’m a gay gangster with glitter, bitches!” Hercules rolls his eyes, taking him off the table. The five sit down. They talk about everything and nothing for ten minutes. A text to Aaron interrupts Alex mid-sentence, much to his dismay. It’s from his uncle.

‘Get in the car, slut.' Aaron looks up hesitantly and sees the little black car his uncle drives in the parking lot. Aaron sighs and puts his phone away.

“Listen, I gotta go. I’ll see you all later”

“Alright, bye.” Aaron gets in the car, looking at his shoes. His uncle doesn’t say anything as he pulls out of the park. It’s not until they are in their own home that his uncle even speaks.

“So you’re a whore now, is that it?” Aaron doesn’t say anything.

“TALK TO ME, FAGGOT!” His uncle reeled his hand back, slapping him across his face. Aaron continues to keep his mouth shut as his uncle kicks him in his side. He hits a wall. His uncle pulls him up by the arm in order to hit him once more. Aaron used to keep his hair long, but after the abuse got worse, he learned to shave his head. Fewer things to grab. His uncle’s hand balls into a fist as he pulls it back. “You’re okay with talking to whores, but not your own uncle!?! IS THIS HOW YOU REPAY ME!?!”

This goes on for several more minutes before lights were seen outside. His uncle puts his hand over Aaron’s mouth, keeping him quiet. He watched outside. As soon as those lights pass, the beating will continue. This is normal. What’s not normal is the fact that the lights didn’t pass.

“Hey, this is your neighbor, Gregory Bartow! We heard yelling and wanted to make sure everything is okay!” His uncle looks at his nephew, bleeding in his arms.

“You little shit, you’re gonna get me in trouble.” His uncle pushes him into a table in the hallway. Aaron looks up just in time to see the beautiful white vase begin to falter. That vase belonged to his grandma and was one of her most prized possessions. It was actually Aaron’s pride and joy as well. He made it in a pottery class his parents put him in when he was young and they were still alive. Months later, he finished it. He took it home and his mom painted it, giving it to his grandma for her birthday. He watched as the thing that represented all of his accomplishments tethered on the edge before falling atop of him. The vase broke on impact with pieces entering his eyes. A hellish scream ripped itself from his throat and echoed into the darkness of the night.

The last thing he remembered is the door breaking open.  
______________________________________________________________________________

“Will he be okay?”

“He’ll live. It will take a long recovery and he will need training. Mr. Bartow has agreed to take him in, so they’ll be in charge of mostly the paperwork. It was fortunate…” Aaron drifts back off into a full slumber.  
______________________________________________________________________________

The first thing Aaron felt was pain. There was a deep pain in his side and in his eyes as well. It hurt to think. He reached up to touch them. The coarse bandages tickled his skin. A gentle hand was laid upon his.

“Hey, Aaron. It’s James.”

“Madison?”

“Yeah, Madison. Listen. You are at the hospital right now and you’re gonna stay here for a while. We’ve both been pardoned from school, so my parents are allowing me to stay with you and help you out. You’re neighbors, the Bartows, are gonna take care of you now that your uncle is in prison.”

“Why you?”

“You didn’t have any family or emergency contacts and I was the most used number on your phone. I’ll stay by your side through this. Am I allowed to text Thomas and the gang to tell them that you’re okay and will be out of school? They’ve been blowing up both our phones.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. How long was I out?”

“Two days.” Aaron nods. He debates asking the next question because he doesn’t really know if he wants the answer.

“How are my injuries.”

“A few broken ribs and countless bruises. Nothing major except…” James trails off. Aaron can hear the tears welling up in his voice.

“Except for my eyes. James, how bad are they?” A sob is his response. “James, will I be able to see?”

“I’m so sorry.” Aaron tilts his head up.

“I guess I won’t see them later, huh?” Aaron says, laughing. James holds him as the bittersweet laughs become dry sobs.


	2. Is He Alright?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lafayette, John, Hercules, Alexander, and Thomas are taking Aaron's absence horribly.
> 
> Especially Thomas, though.

Hercules looks at his phone. His boyfriends and him currently in the park where they were with Aaron merely three weeks ago. They… haven’t seen him since. Lafayette has been spamming his phone and the only information they have is from James saying that he’s alive. Of course, that hasn’t calmed anyone’s nerves.

“Why won’t he answer me!?! He says he’s alive!?! Was there ever a question of him not being alive!?! Is Aaron okay!?! POURQUOI PERSONNE NE RÉPONDRA À LEURS TÉLÉPHONES PUTAIN!?! (WHY WON’T ANYONE ANSWER THEIR FUCKING PHONES!?!)” Hercules still has his. Yes, it’s been a while since they’ve gotten the text, but questions still need answers. And right now, there hasn't been a single one. John and Alex walk up to their spot with two boxes of pizza. They set it down and stare at Lafayette as he rambles off in French about something or other.

“Is he okay?”

“Just freaking out. Everybody is shaken up by this. And by everybody, I mean us and Washington. And Thomas. Thomas is bad too.”

“Yeah. I miss him. It’s just not the same without his calming presence and sanity. Aaron is… He’ll be alright, right?”

“We’ll just hope.”  
______________________________________________________________________________

Lafayette is sitting in Thomas’ room as he paces back and forth. The Jeffersons have been his foreign exchange family for the past four to five years. Though the parents are rough and Mr. Jefferson is sorta awful, Thomas has become like the cousin he never had. He’s full of energy and constantly picks a fight with Hamilton, but he’s fun. He’s also worried sick about both Aaron and James.

“... And then he refuses to answer my texts! James never refuses to answer my texts and so now I’m worried about him. And what about Aaron!?! Is my brother okay!?! WHO DO I HAVE TO KILL IF HE ISN’T!?!” Lafayette laughs. This is the exact same thing he did yesterday. It’s… kinda scary.

“Thomas, mon ami, I’m sure he’s fine.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP, NO YOU’RE NOT!!!” Lafayette flinches back. Thomas takes some deep breaths and sits next to Laf. “I’m sorry, Laf. I’m just worried. He hasn’t had an easy life and I get scared. His parents died, sister ran away, grandparents passed. And then there’s his whole thing about his uncle-”

“Wait, what? What thing with his uncle?”

“Shit, I wasn’t supposed to say that.”

“Thomas, please. The last time we saw him, we were at the park when he got a text. His face changed into something full of fear and he went to get into a black car after saying goodbye.” Thomas begins to fidget and play with a strand of hair, a nervous habit of his. Laf took his hands, looking him dead in the eye. “What thing with his uncle?”

“His uncle is highly abusive and homophobic.” Lafayette’s eyes go wide. They’ve let Aaron go home to an abusive person? They hadn’t even noticed? Laf feels tears well up in his eyes and Thomas pulls him into a hug.

“We’re awful for never noticing.”

“It wouldn’t have done anything. He told me I couldn’t say a thing because he was just trying to make it to eighteen. I’ve known for two years.”

“That’s about the time you got deathly protective of him.”

“I couldn’t protect him from home, but I could protect him from school. He didn’t deserve it.” Thomas pulls away and stands up in front of Lafayette. He has both hands on his shoulders and is looking directly into his eyes. Laf is… well, he’s scared. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you four. You’re getting closer to him and you look at him with such an unabashed look of love in your eyes. He’s dense and self-deprecating, so he doesn’t notice. But I do. If any of you decide to hurt him in any way, shape, or form, I will not hesitate to attack. I will rip you apart, limb by limb. You date him then break his heart, I will break you. Do I make myself clear, Lafayette?”

“Yes, Thomas.”

“Good. I will go to prison.” Thomas drops his hands and sits back down, the authority that was in his body leaking out. He begins to look through his messages. “He hasn’t texted you, has he?”

“No.” Thomas sets his phone down and looks out the window.

“Aaron is the strongest person I know. He’ll come through. He has to.” Laf falls back on the bed, thinking about what Thomas has said. Thomas looks back at him as he’s sprawled across the sheets. “Lafayette, if you guys do date him…”

“We’ll protect him with our lives.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I'll update Friday!
> 
> Internet: So, you've finished writing this and will post it now, right?
> 
> Me: Correct.
> 
> Internet: Okay, Imma head out. BYE!
> 
> Me: No, come back!
> 
> Narrator: The internet did not come back. In fact, it stayed away until the next morning.
> 
> Basically, sorry for not updating yesterday. I was gonna post sometime at night, then my internet stopped. So, here it is.


	3. Audiobooks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter what they say, forcing a blind person to listen to thirty different information sources about coping with blindness won't make them magically cope.

James walks into Aaron’s room with a vase of flowers in his hand. James is here every day, now. It’s been a little over a month since the injury and neither of them has gone back to school. Aaron can’t and James won’t leave Aaron alone with his thoughts. Aaron has been practicing with a white cane and even learning Braille. It’s been good for him. The Bartows were sweethearts and gave Aaron a special keyboard cover that has all the keys in Braille. It’s actually helped Aaron out a lot in his learning, considering he remembers where each key is. James walks into the room to see Aaron staring at the ceiling with a blank expression and headphones in. James places the vase by the window and gently shakes Burr.

“Aaron? You okay?”

“James?”

“Yup.”

“I swear, if I have to listen to one more audiobook or podcast about coping with blindness, I’m cutting off my ears as well.” James laughs and grabs the phone.

“I have an account that I can sign you into. That way, you can listen to an actual book.”

“You listen to audiobooks?”

“Helps with anxiety.” Aaron smiles. James looks at him, thinking. There has to be something he can do to cheer up Burr. “Hey, Aaron? How about we read to some of the texts people have sent you? I’m sure there’s at least one funny one.”

“That sounds nice.” James smiles and grabs Aaron’s phone. He can’t choose the ones that will make Aaron feel bad, so he has to be careful. That’s when he spots the texts from John that have been coming in each day for the past two weeks. “Okay, how about these? It seems John has started to describe to you each day and interesting events, but because it’s John Laurens, he goes on long tangents and doesn’t even finish his original story.”

“This is gonna be good.”

“Day 1: ‘Hey, Aaron. So, you’re not answering your phone and I need someone to talk to, so here you go. In second hour today, some idiot had the bright idea to insult turtles. TURTLES, AARON! What kind of bitch had such a horrible life that they insult turtles? The teacher, that’s who. I was just drawing a picture of a turtle and she told me that turtles were stupid and worthless. Excuse me!?! You’re stupid and worthless. Idiotic human. She says she doesn’t degrade people. But degrading turtles!?! You have lost every last ounce of my respect. Alex is staring at me from across the table. We’re at a restaurant. Anyway, I better go. Boyfriends say I need to spend time with them, instead of on my phone. Who do they think they are, my boyfriends? I’ll talk to you later, Mr. Burr, sir. Be safe and don’t die.’ End of day 1.”

“He stuck to the original story in that one pretty well.”

“We were talking about turtles.”

“Okay, how about the next one?”

“Day 2: ‘I was partnered up with two random kids for a school project. Apparently, Alex was partnered up with Hercules and Lafayette. Who do I get? The most boring kid in existence and a creepy fangirl that won’t get the fuck off me. I know I called you boring but compared to this kid, you’re more interesting than Julius Caesar. I recently asked him what his favorite food was to start a conversation and you know what he said? White. Rice. There are approximately 75287520 recipes in the world (I looked it up), yet you chose white rice as your favorite? How are you so boring? I didn’t think it was possible to reach this level of basic, yet you find away. Congratulations. I wonder if we broke your phone by spamming it. I know Thomas is about ready to call the police. Anywho, I gotta head out. I’ll talk to you later, Mr. Burr, sir. Be safe and don’t die.’ End of day 2.”

“I like white rice, but who chooses that as their favorite food? I mean, you could even choose a specific dish that contains white rice. That’s weird.”

“Yeah, that, strange. Here’s day 3: ‘Charles Lee is a fucking bitch.’ End of day 3.” Aaron bursts out laughing. James can’t help but smile. Aaron hasn’t laughed since this whole thing happened, other than a pity laugh. However, this is the type of laugh that people hold their sides through. This is the laugh that makes people cry and have them struggling to catch their breaths. This is the laugh that people claim can cure depression. This is the laugh that James has been missing.

“I love how he can go on tangents about turtles and rice, yet only uses one sentence to describe Lee.”

“Yeah, it fits. You know-” James is interrupted by a knock on the door. A doctor enters with Mr. Bartow behind him. The doctor smiles.

“Hello, Mr. Burr. With me is Gregory Bartow. You’re going to stay with him. We’ve checked his house to make sure it was safe and you will be going home with him tomorrow if that’s alright.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“On another note, we have given you the clear to return to school in a few weeks. Here is some information. Mr. Madison, will you go over it with him?”

“Of course.”

“Have a good day, Mr. Burr. I must take Mr. Bartow to fill out some paperwork.” Aaron nods as they leave. James looks over the paper.

“It says you can start school as early as next week and as late as another two months. It also has information if you want to be homeschooled.”

“I don’t want to be homeschooled.”

“I didn’t think so. Next week seems too soon.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to go then. I think… I think in two weeks. That’ll give me a week to adjust to home life and prevents both of us from missing more than necessary.”

“As long as you’re comfortable with it. I’ll be by your side.”

“Thanks, James. I owe you so much.”

“All I ask for is the soul of your firstborn. It’ll be fine.” Aaron laughs and James smiles. Aaron takes a deep breath.

“Go on and tell them when I’m coming back. They’ll probably want to know.”

“Okay, I will.” James pulls out his phone and writes up a text to the five people who actually care. James smiles and sets his phone down after pressing send.

‘He should be coming back on the sixteenth.’


	4. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron goes home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is both late and short. In my defense, I spent yesterday watching Hamilton on Disney+. I loved it so much! I was actually going to see it live for my birthday, but everything got canceled. I'll still be able to go, though. We just made a raincheck for a bit.

“And this will be your room. Here’s your bed and this is your dresser. I’m a self-proclaimed fashionista, so I’ll help you with clothes. I’m thinking black and white t-shirts with colorful and expressive pants. Then, no matter what you choose, you’ll match!”

“Why not graphic tees and jeans?”

“Because it’s basic and you’re not basic, Aaron.”

“He’s probably the most basic person I know.”

“James, why are you here?”

“Because I’m amazing.” Aaron smiles at their banter. Theodosia was showing him around the new house and James came because… Well, he doesn’t really know why. Aaron guesses James has practically lived with him through this entire thing. James and Theo have quickly become friends and when Theo meets the others…

Aaron breaks out in laughter.

“What are you laughing at?”

“I just realized that Theo needs to meet the Revolutionary set, along with Thomas.”

“That’s gonna be a nightmare.”

“Why? I’m not that bad.”

“You’re gonna kill every last one of ‘em!”

“That’s not even saying if Thomas and Alex already killed each other. Then again, they do only have Washington together.”

“Now I need to meet them!” Aaron smiles and sits on the bed, after making sure he found it.

“You can meet them after I go back to school.”

“That’s in a week. Are you ready?”

“No.” Aaron feels the bed dip on both sides of him. James and Theodosia hug him.

“You’ll do great.”

“But first, we need to go over the notes. Did you listen to the lectures Mr. Washington sent us?”

“Every last one of them. It was either that or pity party the Musical.”

“We get it, you don’t like the things telling you how to cope.” Mr. Bartow sticks his head in.

“James, are you staying for dinner?”

“It’s up to you. I do have a lot of allergies.”

“You can stay. Would you like to come downstairs to make sure that you’re not gonna die when you eat anything I create?”

“Thank you, sir.” Mr. Bartow leads James out. Theo rubs Aarons back.

“It’s okay if you want to wait to go to school. What happened to you will take time.”

“I know, but I think I’ll be fine.” Theo takes a deep breath. This is gonna be a hard conversation.

“Aaron, I think you need therapy.” Theo sees Aaron stiffen and get defensive.

“Why do I need therapy? I’m doing fine.”

“Aaron, you got blinded because of your uncle, who the police have found an enormous amount of evidence to charge him with child abuse. It’s not okay.”

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

“Aaron Burr, you were a kid. You didn’t need to be strong, you needed to be protected. You still do. Anybody going through a fraction of what you did would be scarred.”

“I’m not weak.”

“Therapy doesn’t indicate that you are weak. It indicates that you are human. It’s fine to not be alright. It’s fine to be sad and it’s fine for everything to not be okay. That’s life. I want you to think of therapy. It doesn’t need to be about coping with your blindness, that’s okay. It can be about your childhood, parents, or school. I don’t care. But Aaron, you don’t have to do this alone. You have me, James, the other people I will apparently kill. No one will think less of you. The few who do, their opinion doesn’t matter.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I ask. Now, let’s go. My dad made steak and I don’t want him to eat it all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brother was in it when he went to college because he got depressed. The few who know don't view him as anything less. We still love him and he's still my brother.
> 
> It's fine to need therapy.
> 
> It's fine to need help.


	5. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron Burr goes back to school... He's about to pass out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry for the wait. I had major writer's block and it sucked! About four different drafts of this chapter have been sitting there, staring at me. Another struggle was making a chapter that didn't just repeat the same portion from the work this is an extension of. I should be back on schedule for updating this to when I was before (every four weeks, always on a Tuesday.)

Aaron sat in the school’s office with James by his side. It was his first day back and Aaron… was on the verge of finding out if people can spontaneously combust due to nerves. His thoughts continuously turn in his head. They are gonna view him differently. He’s gonna be treated like a wounded puppy. Gonna include him just because they need to. Aaron never added to his friends’ lives in any way, why keep him around now? Just because they feel bad. No one else will hang out with the blind kid, so how about we’ll do it? He would be lost without anyone. The poor kid can’t even see. Aaron honestly doesn’t want their sympathy, he wants his eyes back-

“-And this is the elevator key. No one is allowed in the elevator with you, except for one person. It’s an old elevator. Also, here is a note that will let you out of class five minutes early. That should give you plenty of time. Any questions?”

“No, ma'am.”

“Okay, then. Here are two passes for class. Now, run along. You’re already ten minutes late.” Aaron gets up and grabs his white cane. Practicing with it every day has helped him out. He’s come a long way, yet there is still a long way to go. Braille is taking much more time than the white cane is, though. James lets Aaron use the white cane to get around and only interferes when he’s about to run into a wall or miss a turn.

“Aaron, your knuckles are whiter than the cane you're holding. Relax. It’ll get some getting used to, but our friends are our friends for a reason. They’ll stick by you. That is if Hamilton and Jefferson haven’t killed someone yet. I swear they are the sole reason Mr. Washington is aging.”

“I know, it’s just a lot. It’s like dating someone for two years and then they come home with a baby. It changes everything.”

“If you’re dating someone for two years, it’s gonna take a lot more than a baby to break it up. Unless, they cheated on you, got a girl pregnant, she had the baby, and now forced them to raise it. Then, it might not have been the best relationship, to begin with.”

“Wow, James. You never cease to encourage me.” Aaron deadpanned. James laughed before stopping. They were in front of the classroom.

“Are you ready, Aaron?”

“Absolutely not. But I am going to try my hardest to run in ten seconds, so you better knock soon.” James does just that. Aaron hears laughter from inside and then the door opens.

“Oh, son.” Washington goes back into the room to rearrange the seating a little. He doesn’t notice that he’s shaking until James' hand came out to grasp his. Aaron squeezes it.

“It’s gonna be okay. You’ve survived this far, you can do it.” Washington comes out.

“I’ve moved the seats so you can sit by the door.” James walks in and puts Aaron’s bag on the desk by the door and his bag right next to it. Aaron feels Washington’s hand on his back. “It’s good to have you back, Aaron. We missed you.”

“Trust me, I would rather be here than at the hospital.” Washington ushered Aaron in. There is complete silence, except for a small ‘mon Dieu’ from, Aaron suspects, Lafayette. He runs his hand across the seat, feeling the width and depth of it. The last thing he needs is sitting down and falling out, or missing the chair completely. Has happened before. He hears whispers start up throughout the classroom. Most are questions, some are theories. One person asked his neighbor if Aaron was always blind. Washington takes his phone and begins to record the lesson.

“I’m going to record the lessons, much like I have these past few months. You may be lost at first, but you can stay after school until you catch up.”

“James and I have been doing the homework and listening to the recording, we should be fine.” His voice sounds weak to his own ears.

“What happened to my brother?” Aaron tilted his head, hearing Thomas’ words, despite being a whisper. He couldn’t help but smile at Jefferson’s voice. Thomas has become family over the years.

“Thomas? So you do care about me?”

“Of course! I didn’t not kill Alex these past few months because of my amazing love for the man.”

“Please, I would’ve won.” Aaron faces forward so they don’t see his smile fall. Much like you can hear a smile in a voice, Aaron can hear the fakeness of it. He can hear the tears welling up and them forcing it down. He sets his bag on the ground and listens to Mr. Washington’s speech until he zones out. That is until a knock is heard on the door. Aaron lifts his head before he even realizes what he’s doing. His head is roughly fifteen degrees above the horizon, slightly turned to the left. He turns his head back towards the desk.

“Aaron? Are you alright?”

“Muscle memory. Back in my old seat, that exact position is the one I would go to in order to see the clock.” Mr. Washington goes and opens the door.

“Mr. Lee! So nice of you to join us fifteen minutes late.” Washington’s voice was heavy with sarcasm.

“Isn’t it though? I wasn’t gonna come in but then I thought of how much you would miss me and decided to show up! Aaron, it’s nice to see you up and kickin’. Glad you’re not dead.” Aaron chuckles.

“Thanks, I guess.” From the corner of his eyes, Charles sees the white cane. He ducks down to get a closer look. Aaron’s eyes are a milky white caused by a change in the lens of the eye. That is expected in those who are blind. What was not expected were the dark red scars spread throughout from the shrapnel. It appeared like something out of a horror movie, yet have improved greatly. Charles was not heartless. This hurt him.

“I am so sorry, Aaron. It’s not much, but here. It’s Starbucks. Just a coffee with five creams. Also a donut. You know, the one with the fluffy filling? I’m sorry if you don’t like it, it’s all I got. I’m… I’m gonna go sit down, now.” Lee sets down the coffee and donut and sits down in his seat. His friend, Benedict, leans over.

“Wow, a basic white girl just gave up her Starbuck. Never thought it would happen.”

“Shut up.” Charles looks across the room at Aaron. James had taken the lid off of the coffee to cool and Aaron was eating the donut. He’s got a small smile on his face. A small smile that seems to brighten the room in a way nothing has for months. “It was worth it."


	6. Therapy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive, I promise.

George Frederick looked at his clipboard. He loved his job, he really did. Being a therapist let him help people he wouldn’t be able to help. He specializes in children and teens. It’s heartbreaking, really. Seeing seven-year-olds come in with depression, cuts all along their arms. Teenagers with bruises and drug addictions. He’s able to grow with these children and become a solid foundation in their ever-shifting world. He is always excited and nervous to meet a new client. To see a new person walk through that door. He never knows what to expect.

However, some warning that his newest patient was blind would have been helpful.

Aaron Burr, or so says the name on his clipboard, is a young man whose caretaker is being investigated for abuse. That is all that was allowed to be shared, so that is all that he knew. Frederick gets up.

“Here, let me help you.”

“Thanks. I’m still new to this.”

“You are alright.” George helps him to the couch and sits down. “Let me introduce myself. Hello, I am George Frederick.”

“I’m Aaron Burr… Are you British?”

“I am. Now, why don’t you sit down and tell me about yourself.”

“Okay. I’m from New Jersey. When I was about five, my parents died. I moved in with my grandparents, who also died and left me with my uncle. My sister ran away and my uncle got even worse. That’s about it.”

“And how did your uncle treat you?”

“He was abusive and is the reason I’m blind. What more is there to say?”

“You’ve lived with him for, what, ten years? This is the iceberg, we need to dig deeper. But, perhaps, that is better for another time. How are you coping with the situation?”

“I swear if you make me listen to one more audiobook or take me to one more lecture, I may puke.”

“Had a lot of those?”

“Too many.”

“What has happened since you got out of the hospital?”

“I’m staying with my neighbors, the Bartows, and have been going to school for the past week.”

“How’s that?”

“I… don’t know. I have a group of friends, y’know? And they insist I’m not a burden, but I’m pretty sure I was a burden before the injury. I went out to the park with four of them on Saturday. It was the first time I really got out of the house. We went to my favorite ice cream place and I wanted to sit down in the park. Well, I started to make my way to the table we always sat at until John, one of my friends, grabbed my arm. He said we should sit under a tree or something. I said ‘we’re always at that table’. He said ‘not anymore,’ then under his breath said ‘not after…’ I heard the tears in his voice. He excused himself and walked away. Well, the table was the last place they saw me before the injury. Apparently, they couldn’t bring themselves to go back there. They help me out.”

“How?”

“The little things. Lafayette can almost always be found by my side. He has trouble letting me learn how to use my white cane, preferring to lead me safely to the destination. One time, I ran into a wall because I forgot to pay attention. Laf was by my side, making sure I was okay in record time. Hercules protects me from those who would make fun of me. He makes sure things aren’t too hot and will show me where everything is. Alex helps out in the only way he knows how. He’ll write for me, type for me. All he knows is work, so he does it on my behalf. He proofreads and fixes certain mistakes, even reading it back to me. John’s a little different. He’s been more standoffish than he used to be. The thing with John is that his father was abusive. So, I think he feels like he should have seen the signs. He will buy me clothes that look good, no matter how you match them. He also buys me some of my favorite books in Braille. The few times he’s touched me, he acted like I would break. He's scared.”

“These four mean a lot to you.” Aaron looks up and smiles.

“They’re my world. The four of them are dating, so I could never have them. It hurts, but it’s fine. Well, it would be. I feel like they’re not happy when they are around me. I’ve thought about avoiding them, but they won’t let me.”

“If you love them, you won’t avoid them. They most likely feel guilty that they couldn’t do anything. It’s very common, which is sad because they probably couldn’t do anything.”

“What can I do to help?”

“Nothing much. If you continue to live your life to the fullest, they will realize that it’s okay because you’re okay.”

“And what about Thomas?”

“Thomas?”

“Yeah, Thomas? He feels like family. He found out my uncle was abusive two years ago and I made him promise not to tell a soul. He’s… not okay. He doesn’t talk, doesn’t confront me, doesn’t really do anything. The few times I’m left alone with him, we just sit there. I miss how it used to be. I miss my brother.” Aaron lets out a choked sob. Frederick puts down his notepad and smiles.

“You can cry, Aaron.”

“No, actually, I can’t.”

“Excuse me?”

“The glass that caused me to go blind also damaged my tear ducts.”

“I’m sorry what?”

“I physically can’t cry.”

Yeah, some warning would have been nice.


End file.
